THE BRITISH BLOCKADE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1629, 26 October 1916, Page 4

THE BRITISH BLOCKADE.

Just how effective the blockade of the Central Powers has been was recently admitted by Herr Achelis, president ot‘ the Bremen Chamber of Commerce, in an interview which he gave to a representative of the Yossiche Zeiding. Herr Achelis said: “As the severity of the British blockade of our coasts has been increased by Croat Britain’s arbitrary extension of the list of contraband goods, our overseas commercial activity has decreased, so that finally tobacco was the only article which sustained our foreign commerce. By the foundation of the Dutch Oversea Trust, and eventually by the German prohibition of tobacco imports, this branch of our commerce has also been paralysed. Our shipping has ceased owing to the war, but our shipowners to some extent participate in the Baltic trade. Bremen’s export business lias completely ceased. We do not know whether and how many of our goods which wo sent out before ihe outbreak of war are still at our disposal, what has been sold, and whether we shall get any money for these goods. Thus at present our commerce shows no life at all, but our merchants were prudent before the war, so that it is hoped that with their reserves they will survive the war. Onr shipyards are well oecupied not. only with war orders, hut also with orders for peace time.” finally he spoke of the transitory period from war to peace, and expressed the hope that German diplomatists would secure such good conditions that the transitory period need only he very short, and that authoritative quarters will have recognised the necessity of export trade for Germany, and “the necessity when concluding commercial treaties of leaving open foreign markets for our peaceful competition.”